FIC Report (Lagos State) – Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday received the newly inaugurated President of the Republic of Benin, His Excellency Romuald Wadagni, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“On behalf of Mr. President, HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I received the President of the Republic of Benin, His Excellency Romuald Wadagni, on his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu announced in a statement posted on his official Facebook page Monday afternoon.
The Governor said the visit “reflects the strong ties between our neighbouring nations and our shared commitment to deeper regional cooperation.”
President Wadagni’s stop in Lagos marked his first bilateral engagement with Nigeria since he was sworn in on May 24, 2026, after winning Benin’s April 12 presidential election. The former finance minister succeeded ex-President Patrice Talon.
Sanwo-Olu led the Béninoise leader from the airport to President Tinubu’s Ikoyi residence, where both presidents held a closed-door meeting that lasted about 30 minutes. While details of the discussions were not immediately made public, the talks are understood to centre on regional cooperation and bilateral relations.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga described Wadagni’s Lagos trip as a “private visit”, but noted the significance of the early outreach. Video shared by Onanuga showed Wadagni being escorted by Sanwo-Olu to meet Tinubu.
The visit comes a week after Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Tinubu at Wadagni’s inauguration in Cotonou on May 24. President Tinubu had earlier congratulated Wadagni in a personal letter, stating that Nigeria and Benin “share a long history of friendship, cultural ties, and cooperation”.
“I… look forward to working closely with your administration to further strengthen our bilateral relations, enhance regional security, and promote economic prosperity within the ECOWAS sub-region and the African Union,” Tinubu wrote in the letter.
Benin Republic, which shares Nigeria’s western border, remains a key partner in ECOWAS trade and Gulf of Guinea security arrangements. Tinubu served as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government from July 2023 to 2024.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who has repeatedly called for stronger African trade ties, said Lagos remains committed to initiatives that “elevate our standards and achievements as we advance towards Africa’s development aspirations,” echoing his remarks at the signing of Lagos’s hosting agreement for the 2027 Intra-Africa Trade Fair.
While the Presidency has not released a communiqué, the introductory meeting signals Abuja’s intent to consolidate relations with Porto-Novo under Wadagni’s administration. Both nations are expected to deepen collaboration on border security, trade facilitation, and energy, issues that dominated Tinubu’s ECOWAS chairmanship.
Wadagni departed Lagos Monday evening after the meeting, according to State House sources.
OJIUGO OKAMEME
Principal Information Officer 1
2/6/2026
